Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-10-27
BURNING OF THE CLOUD"
A Party OF Passengers Give an Account
of the Disaster and Speak Compli-
mentary of the Officers.

we, the undersigned, passengers on the
Inflated steamer Silver Cloud, would respect
fully offer the following as statement of the
burning Of the steamer on the afternoon Of
October I4th. We embarked Thursday
morning on the steamer at East Peryyille,
on our way to Missouri, for hunt on Black
river, in Arkansas and Missouri. We came
down as far as Binhihg ham, at which point
we landed at 4 p. m. Friday. The boat
dropped down below the bar Of the island
and weht up The east slough or chute to the
landing Of the lime works. The boat was
landed, being made fast to dead tree lying
on the bank. There were as barrels of
lime and a beef COW to come aboard. Tween
ty-two barrels of the lime had been taken
aboard and one barrel was on the gang plank,
when the chief engineer, Clay Warden, sound
ed the fire alarm on the engine whistle.
Capt Jack Sleeth was on the boiler deck
when the first alarm was sounded and Pilots
Howe and Smith were both in the pilot-house.
Capt Sleeth rushed up on the hurricane ROOT
and procured two buckets of water. While
he was above, the second alarm was given by
the engineer and at the same instant the
pumps were heard at work. On the second
alarm being given Chief Clerk Hale ran aft
TO the ladies' cabin to see if there remained
any lady passengers. We ran to our state
rooms, seized our guns, overcoats and valises
and ran ashore. As we went in our state
rooms, which were Nos. 3, q and 5, well for
ward in the cabin, there was no smoke or hre
to be seen in the cabin. On issuing from the
staterooms the cabin was one dense mass o
smoke. We rushed ashore and put down
our guns and things, and when we returned
the flames were reaching in the texas of the
boat, and Plot Smith was leaving the texas
having been driven out by smoke and flame
Two of our party returned to the boat an'
assembled to the boiler deck to try and save
our tent, blankets. ammunition and camp
outfit. The flames at this time were as far al
the Office and in the pilot house. 1t
dropping our tent ii struck Capt. Sleeth
crushing him to the deck. At this momen
the boat commenced to back from the Ian
ding, dragging the tree down the bank t.
v hich the rope was fastened Capt Sleett
saw the danger and warned those aboard .
he fact, aad they fed down and reached TIT
bank as the stage-plank fell from the boat
The pump ceased to work about the time tn
boat commenced to back out. When tn
stage plank fell it caught the chef engineer
Warden, the mate McH enry, the fireman,
colored man, on the boat. A hawser hat
been passed to the shore as the boat began Il
move off and the passengers and crew drew
it to tree and fastened it, while Enginee
Warden fastened il to the boat; but betor
this was done the boat had backed across tn
chute to the island and sand bar, where sh
grounded and burned up. When the stag
plank fell and the heat became too oppressiv
the mate jumped to the floating stage plank
but slipped and fell backwards in the rive
and some deckhand on the plank saved hin
Soon the heat drove those on the floating
plank-which was tied TO the boat by wir
ropes-to the river. Engineer Warden thre'
overheard bale Of cotton and Mate Nc
Henry got on it. BY this time the heat drov
the brave engineer to take the water and h
swan and pushed the cotton bale and its liV
ing freight to the island bar. The cause G
the steamer backing out is that when the boa
stopped her levers were set to back and tn
engineer raised the levers to let the steam
cape through the pipes and the levers wer
held up by ropes. The engineer, in usn
the hose on the fire, got cut off from the en-
gines and as soon as the ropes burned tn
levers fell and the escaping steam at ono
went to the cylinders, which caused the boa
to back and there was no possible chance
prevent it. We are positive that not NOR
than three minutes elapsed from the soundin
of the first alarm until the boat was mass c
flames above the pilot house. The officer
acted with great GOODNESS and self-posessior
Very few saved any clothing save what the
had on. Our party lost nearly everything bl
their guns and FIVE dogs, one dog bein
burned or lost after reaching the shore. Or
" one trunk was saved, that belonged 10 Mr.
Rushing, passenger. Three beef cattle g
out; six persisted. After the fire the officer
of the steamer transported the passengers b
ferry to Birmingham, and furnished them we
until assistance arrived from Paducah. Tn
steam, City of Nashville came into Birminf
ham about IL o'clock that night and ever
inducement was made by the officers of tn
burned boat to get her 10 bring the passer
gers and crew to Paducah, but that boat ha
no sympathy for US and refused, but pre-
ceeded up the river. About 7 O'Clock, att
he burning. Capt Sleeth took skiff an
started for Paducah, and at 2 a. m. Saturda
he sent the tow steamer Little Mary to II
and we landed at Paducah at p. m. Satu
day. We desire to return our thanks to Cap
, Sleeth, Chief Clerk Hale, Clerk Brown an
all the officers of the burned steamer for Il
many acts of kindness shown us, and
cheertully bear testimony to their drawer
efficiency and benevolence.
Jas. l.. SLOAN, w. w. TAYLOR,
John B. WlLBuRN, w. r. WHEAT,
CHESTER SLOAN, E. A. HALBRooKs,
JOHN OLIVER (colored.)